Fastener holder and operating tool



Feb. 11, 1941. w. H. CAWOOD FASTENER HOLDER AND OPERATING TOOL FiledMarch 14, 1939 2 She ets-She et l Inventor lfl l i f/a Aarf [1? Wood Aitomeys Feb. 11, 1941. w, cAwoon U FASTENER HOLDER AND OPERATING TOOLFiled March 14', 19:59 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor Wi/fiam 1 /05121(QM/00a a By 2 c M 1 A iiomeys ill Patented Feb. 11, rear 2,231,323ras'rannn nonnnn sup orana'rnso 'roor.

William ficbart Cawood, Middlesboro, Ky, assignor to Mary V. Cawood,Middiesboro, Ky.

Application March 14, 1939, Serial No. 261,832

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a tool especially adapted for securingfasteners of a casketbox, while located within a grave and after theplacing of the casket in the box and the cover on said box,and has forthe primary object the provision of a device of this character whichwillpermit a person standing beside an open grave to place each coverfastener in place and tightly secure the same without the necessity ofentering the grave for such a purpose and is so constructed that it maybe readily folded to permit easy carrying and storing thereof when notin use.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certainnovel features of com structlon, combination and arrangement of parts tobe hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had tothe following description and accompanying drawings, in which- Figure lis a perspective view illustrating the tool in operation of securing afastener in place on a casket box.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevation illustrating the head of the"tool gripping one of the fasteners.

Figured-3 is a fragmentary front elevation illustrating the head of thetool gripping a fastener Figure 4 is an end view of the head of thetool.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary front elevation partly in section illustratinga modified form of head construction.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary side elevation partly 1 in sectionillustrating the modified form of head.

Figure 7 is an end viewillustrating the modified form of head.

Figure 8 is a side elevation illustrating the tool in a folded position.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 5 indicates a boxemployed in a grave for receiving a casket and has a cover 6 secured inplace by fasteners I each consisting of a screw threaded shank 8 and asubstantially triangular shaped head 9 having opposite flattened faces.The box 5 is lowered into an open grave and the casket is thenpositioned in the box by the usual casket-lowering mechanism. After thisoperation I hasbeen completed the cover 5 is lowered into position onthe box for closing the latter with a casket therein. -All of theseoperations can take place from the surface of the ground and it has beenthe present practice of a person to enter the use of the presentinvention the necessity of a person entering the grave is entirelyobviated.

"The tool is indicated in entirety by the character it and consists ofan elongated rod-like member ii including sections A and B. The sec- 5tions A and B are pivotally connected, as shown at it, and the pivotedend of the section B has formed thereon an extension It over which maybe positioned a sleeve it slidably mounted on the section A when it isdesired to secure the 3 sections A and B against pivotal movement andwith said sections in alignment with each other.

The free end of the section B is enlarged to form a head 18 whichisbifurcated to form gripping jaws l9 adapted to receive therebetween andgrip the opposite flattened faces of the head 9 of the fastener. Whenthe head of the fastener is. inserted between the jaws, it will requireconsider-able force for the extraction thereof from the head.

In operation, after the placing of a fastener in the head I8 theoperator standing on the surface of the ground adjacent the open gravemay position the fastener in the opening of the cover and readily threadthe same into the box. After the threading of the fastener fully intothe box, the head it may be readily detached from the fastener by anupward pull on the device and the next 5 fastener positioned in the head18 so that it in turn can be passed through the next opening in thecover and threaded into the box. Thus it will be seen that through theuse of this tool the securing of the fasteners into the box and throughthe cover is made comparatively easy without the necessity of a personentering the grave;

, Referring to my modified form of invention as shown in Figures 5 to'7, the section B of the tool may be provided with a head 20 in which isformed a recess 2! opening outwardly through the free end of said head.The head is also provided with a recess 22 which opens through the frontface of the head and also communicates with the recess 2 I A leaf spring23 is secured in the recess 22 by a screw or like fastener 2d and thefree end thereof is adapted to enter the recess 2! for engaging andgripping the head of a fastener when inserted in the recess 2|. Therecess M is of a general shape corresponding to the shape of the as headof the tool.

It is believed that the foregoing description, when taken in connectionwith the drawings will fully set forth the construction and advantagesof this invention to those skilled in the art. to which such. a devicerelates, so that further detailed description will not be required.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

A tool for securing the screw fasteners of casket casings therein fromabove a grave, said fasteners having upstanding eye-like heads, saidtool comprising a rod-like shank adapted to be inserted in the grave andprovided with an operating crank and handle at one end for rotating thesame, and a chuck on the other end of said shank for attaching the headof a fastener to said end, said chuck being provided with an end slotfor the insertion of said head therein having inwardly converging sidewalls for frictionally gripping the opposite sides of said head with a.wedging action to provide for a tight fit of the head in the chuck, saidchuck having a longitudinal countersink in one side opening into oneside of the slot, and a leaf spring anchored at one end in saidcountersink and having a crimped opposite end extending into said slotby way of said opening to snap into said head under ins'ertion of thehead in the slot and thereby releasably latch said head in said slot.

